


Eternal Night

by MrTYTrack



Series: Aeterna Noctis [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Anti-Hero, Blood and Injury, Brutal Murder, Child Abandonment, Child Soldiers, Cybernetics, Cyberpunk, Dark, Dark Past, Dubious Morality, Dystopia, Fist Fights, Future, Gang NCT, Gang Violence, Gangsters, Gun Violence, Killer Robots, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Mild Gore, Minor Original Character(s), Organized Crime, Original Character Death(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possible Character Death, Robots, Science Fiction, Street Gang, Street Rats, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-21 15:54:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30024177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrTYTrack/pseuds/MrTYTrack
Summary: The year is 2131.Ten Lee was new to Cheowon, the city in South Korea dubbed as the "city of dreams". He expecting grand skyscrapers, beautiful landmarks, and plenty of opportunities, but that couldn't have been further from reality. The real Cheowon harbored a dark secret. It was ridden with poverty, homelessness, and violence. There was a clear divide between the wealthy and the poor, and desperation and despair held the latter population by their throats. To remain in the city, Ten had to learn how to survive without being dependant on the law.If Ten wanted to survive in such a place, he knew he would have to learn to put up a fight. Enter "Aeterna Noctis", a criminal organization with more than five-thousand members across the whole of the continent. Despite their criminal nature, Ten felt as though he was caught in the organization's web, and he was drawn to the mysterious leader and trainer of Unit Three, Lee Taeyong. Nobody could survive alone in the city. There was much more depth to Aeterna Noctis than met the eye, and Ten had to embrace that—no matter how action-packed his life was going to become.
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Series: Aeterna Noctis [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2211864
Comments: 15
Kudos: 15





	Eternal Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Please read the tags for content warnings. These will be updated as the story progresses**
> 
> This is a work of fiction. The portrayal of the members of NCT and other involved groups is NOT accurate to real life, and they may be completely different from their real personalities in some parts of the story. I do not condone any of the actions in this story, nor do I think the members would be capable of such actions.
> 
> This story will be dark, so read at your own discretion. It is set in the future in the midst of societal collapse. This is the theoretical belief that in the future, society, as we know it, will degrade due to various occurrences (such as war, disease, etc.) and there will be a significant increase in violence and crime, which obviously isn't good. This story will be fairly mild, as far as theories of collapse go.
> 
> I've taken inspiration from multiple locations: the video game _"Cyberpunk 2077"_ , the Japanese drama _"The Sun Does Not Move"_ (2020, not the new movie), and the anime _"Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans"_.

_**I: VITA NOVA** _

The city of Cheowon, to outsiders, was publicized as a city of dreams. Characterized by the bright neon lights and high-rise buildings, it was easy for one to see the appeal. Cheowon wasn't short of its perks, with talking driverless vehicles and an abundance of luxury apartment buildings to suit everybody's needs. The economy thrived on technology, with a wide range of products to make anybody's life much simpler and enjoyable. Those with the coin to do so could reach their full potential, with life-changing cybernetic implants and procedures to advance anybody's prowess in any task or field. Travel was convenient, with any transport—be it on land or in the sky—being accessible at the tap of a button. Being a hub for recreation, Cheowon was full of locations for entertainment and enjoyment, from peaceful parks to arcades and amusement parks for days out with the family. Cheowon was a prosperous city, and its people took pride in that.

The positivity was attractive for outsiders, especially young, impressionable outsiders. That was what led Ten Lee, a twenty-one-year-old university graduate from Thailand, to Cheowon. He left his mother and sister behind to explore what else was out there in the world, and with the technology in 2131 being as advanced as it was, the journey was quick. Though Ten had never flown before, it didn't prove to be as fearful as people acted. Before he moved, he'd already managed to arrange somewhere to stay. It was affordable, and though even the landlady said that the apartment block wasn't the most pleasant in Cheowon, Ten accepted it. He didn't plan on staying inside. He'd been learning the language so he could get a job and build a life there, not to rot in an apartment.

When he arrived at the building, Ten understood what the landlady meant, and wished that he'd acknowledged her warning more. But in Ten's defense, he was more concerned about finding a job than a place to stay.

The building itself wasn't _too_ bad. Sure, it wasn't a state-of-the-art, thirty-something floor luxury apartment block, but it looked habitable. It didn't make his jaw drop, nor did it make him gag at the sight. It would suffice temporarily, as Ten wasn't rich. The building was fine. Ten was expecting a grand entrance, with lights and flowers, but all that was there was a measly pot with a few half-dying tulips and a can of the local beer, as decoration. The light was flickering, and the archway's paint was almost chipping. Ignoring the unsightly entrance, Ten walked inside. There were people sat around inside, on the floor. Many were drunk, clutching bottles and cans in their hands. There were vending machines inside with flashy displays, but that didn't surprise him. Ten knew city life consisted of more vending machines or street food than high-class restaurants, especially for outsiders. Plus, who would turn down a nice on-the-move meal?

Ten progressed, though the sight of drunks unnerved him. People walked around, dressed as though they belonged on the street. Some strange and suggestive gazes were sent his way, but he ignored them. Everybody in the building seemed devoid of any manners, spitting, coughing, and shoving their way around the ground floor. There was a poorly stuck notice on the elevator that it was out of service, and Ten sighed. Glad that he'd paid for his belongings to be delivered rather than having to trail them around, he looked around. He hoped the rooms weren't as bad as everywhere else in the building. With the way the ground floor looked, he wouldn't be shocked if he shared his room with a dozen cockroaches. It also seemed rather loud, but with the ground floor doubling as what looked like a homeless shelter, he wasn't surprised. Litter was everywhere, and Ten let out an exhausted sigh. He just wanted to rest until the evening.

Dragging himself through people, Ten made his way to another elevator. Luckily, there were signs. It at least gave him one thing to be grateful for. He turned his nose up at a foul stench and looked over to a dark corner. There were four people huddled, accompanied by alcohol and what Ten initially thought were cigarettes, but with his attention taken back to the scent, he realized that wasn't at all what they were smoking. The four men were ragged, wearing old and dirty clothes. Their hair was messy, and the bags under their eyes were so prevalent that Ten was taken aback. Bloodshot eyes looked back at him.

"What're you looking at?" said one, his voice deep and harsh. "Want a go?"

Confused, Ten looked around. He didn't expect that they'd talk to him. He pointed at himself, checking that he wasn't imagining things. His friend laughed, but he soon started having a coughing fit. "Yeah, you. You're gawking at us like you've never seen a joint before."

"I-I have," Ten replied.

It was a bluff. He hadn't.

"Give me a coin and you can have a puff. Or, if you're broke, pay up with that pretty little body of yours."

"I'm good. I'll be on my way, somebody's waiting for me."

Now, that wasn't a bluff. He was meeting the landlady on the fifth floor, outside of his apartment. The men laughed. "Suit yourself. But if you're looking for a bit of fun, come and see me."

Ten walked away, both disgusted and disturbed by the man's proposition. He made his way to the elevator as quickly as he could. Others were waiting. One, in particular, had a burst lip and stood with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his trousers. As he reached up to fix his hair, his t-shirt shifted, and Ten caught a glimpse of a gun pushed under the rim of his trousers. His eyes widened, and he looked at the stranger as the elevator door opened. People began to get into the elevator, including the man. Stuck in his thoughts, Ten stood still.

"You getting in, or not?" asked the man.

He looked up with his eyes still wide. The man snickered. Ten hummed in thought and nodded softly. He got into the elevator and was left beside the man, who moved over to give him space. His entire body tensed. After pressing the right button, Ten fixed his gaze onto the door. He had heard that guns were legal in Cheowon, but he never expected to see any. Especially not on his first day in the city. The man looked at him, and Ten could feel his stare.

"You look like you've seen a ghost or somethin', you doing alright?"

"Me?" asked Ten, unintentionally stuttering, "I'm alright."

"Calm down, folks feel your nerves around this part. Makes you easy prey."

"I-I see..."

The man laughed, though he tried to hide it. Ten felt as though he couldn't have left any quicker. The door remained open, and the man looked in. Ten avoided his gaze. When the door began to shut, the man stuck his hand in to stop it. In an immediate panic, he shuffled back. The man smiled, and it unnerved Ten.

"This is the fifth floor," he said.

Ten stammered. "How did you know I was getting off here?"

"Relax, I saw you press the button."

"Oh, right."

He got out of the elevator and muttered an apology to the others inside, but none of them even bothered to look at him. Soon the door closed, and Ten pulled a note out of his pocket. The man looked over his shoulder, and he instinctively moved away. The man held his hands up, showing him that he didn't mean any harm. "You're far too on edge to be from around here. Where're you from?"

"What does it matter to you?"

"I want to help you. Where're you headed?"

Ten sighed. He did think he was being a little too cautious. "Number 244."

"Hey," the man laughed. "That's pretty cool, you're next door to me."

"I am?"

The man nodded, and he put his hand out. The action surprised him, but before he could shake his hand, the man took his away and wiped it on his leg before holding it out again. "Nakamoto Yuta, I'm not from here either. Been living here since 27, though."

"Ten," he replied, shaking his hand. "Ten Lee."

"Follow me, I'll lead you to your apartment. I'm in 243. I'm not in much, but head over if you need anything. I swear I'm not gonna hurt you. You saw my gun, didn't you?"

"Yeah... sorry."

"What're you apologizing for? I'm not hiding it," he laughed, "it's for self-defense, it's pretty rough around here."

"That's what shocked me," Ten confessed, "I knew it was legal... but—"

"Never expected people would have 'em, did you?"

Ten nodded, following Yuta down the hallway. It was quiet, yet litter was still dropped in corners, even beside the bins. A bench was broken, and he could swear he saw blood on the floor. "I expected a nice city, though."

"You're in the wrong place then. The Cheowon you see on TV is only for folks with their wallets as big as their egos," he replied. "Not to assume you're poor or anything."

"Well, you wouldn't be wrong. I spent most of my money getting here, and now I owe my mother."

Yuta chuckled. "Maybe the 'city of dreams' will treat you generously. Anyhow—we're here. I'll let you talk to the landlady."

"Thanks for your help, and sorry about the misunderstanding," said Ten.

"Don't stress about it," said Yuta, opening his door. "I'll see you later."

Once he was gone behind his door, Ten faced the short elderly woman stood beside the door. She had a warm smile. Looking at her outfit, she didn't exactly seem wealthy, either. Ten bowed.

"You're Ten, right?" she asked. "I knew you were going to be handsome; I could tell!"

He chuckled, muttering a thank you. The landlady took out a small keycard and handed it to him. He thanked her again.

"Were you surprised? I wasn't lying to you. I didn't want to put you off, but I had to warn you. Tenants leave so often, and I didn't want you to turn your nose up about the fact I never warned you."

"I was a little surprised, but it's not _too_ bad."

"You don't need to lie; I know it's horrible. But, you see, different people own every few apartments. The owner of the building is abroad, I'm sure he doesn't even know what's going on here."

"Well, as long as I can sleep at night, I don't mind. Honestly. I'll be working anyway."

"Ah, of course. Work and then get out of this horrible slum," she said. "You're handsome, you'll go far."

He laughed. "Thank you."

"I'll leave you to settle in. I've left my contact details on a card inside, just in case there are any problems. Be careful out there, people can be horrible around here."

"You too," said Ten. "Have a nice day."

He bowed as she walked away, and she laughed. "You don't need to bow, just go and take a rest. Your belongings arrived, I left them in the hall for you."

Ten opened the door when she disappeared around the corner, sighing. He didn't know how long he'd have to stay there, but a friendly neighbor and landlady made the whole experience better. The whole experience on the ground floor slipped from his mind as he locked the door, and without bothering to look around, he ran to the bedroom and lay down. He only intended to have a short rest to ease all of the tension in his body, but he fell asleep.

* * *

When Ten woke up, it was dark outside. He let out a gentle sigh, sitting up. The apartment was dark, but the light from the neon signs on the street lit up the bedroom. Looking at the electric clock on the bedside table, it was already close to midnight. He could hear music from one of the rooms around him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It didn't sound like it was coming from Yuta's apartment. Ten's legs were aching from all of the walking around in the airport and the bus stop, but he stood up. He closed the blinds and turned on the light, running his fingers through his hair as he looked at the two suitcases by the door. He didn't bring much, just enough clothes to have some variety until he could afford to buy decent city clothes. Most people he'd seen so far were wearing simple t-shirts, hoodies, jeans, and jogging trousers, but he had only seen mostly poor or homeless people. It _actually_ made him feel bad, but it wasn't as though he could do much. He had a few hundred dollars to keep himself going until he got a job, and his priority was feeding himself, rather than getting fancy clothes.

Ten spent around an hour organizing his things and hanging his clothes up in the wardrobe in the wall of the bedroom. He placed his toothbrush, shower gel, and other toiletries in the bathroom, and was relieved to find that the shower looked decent. The entire apartment looked far nicer than the rest of the building. With everything organized and his suitcases hidden in a cupboard, Ten looked back at the clock to find it was nearing one in the morning. Inconveniently, his stomach was crying out for food, and due to his rest lasting longer than he had planned, he hadn't gone out to buy any food. At that time, people would be drunk and swarming the streets, and not many places would be open. While he could have checked if Yuta was awake, he didn't want to disturb somebody that he just met because he was hungry.

So, Ten grabbed his jacket and wallet. A quick visit to the ground floor—without getting distracted by smokers, that time around—seemed like the most logical choice. Vending machine food wouldn't have been his first choice in any other circumstances, but he didn't need to get lost and kidnapped on his first day in Cheowon. Though, preferably that would never happen. When Ten walked out of the door, he heard talking down the hallway. He'd forgotten just how horrible the rest of the building looked until he was faced with it. He sighed as he walked to the elevator. Suddenly, a door slammed, leaving him on edge. Just as he pressed the elevator button, a woman ran towards him, tears in her eyes. She started hitting the button, and Ten was startled, looking back to see if she was being pursued. And that she was.

A muscular man walked around the corner, looking furious. He had a red mark on his face, as though he'd been slapped. Ten's eyes widened as he stormed toward the woman. The man spoke with a slur in his voice, clearly intoxicated. The woman gripped onto Ten's arms, crying quietly. "H-Help me," she hiccupped, hiding behind him.

He looked up at the man and flinched as he pulled him out of the way. He was hardly given time to react as he stumbled forward, and Ten almost gasped when the man hit the woman. He hurried over, weakly pushing him away. "Leave her alone!"

"Who the fuck are you?" the man spat, "Piss off, or I'll break your god-damn neck."

But Ten didn't stand down. Instead, he crossed his arms, standing in front of the woman. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Don't make me laugh," the man snickered.

"I mean it, leave, now!"

"Or what?"

Ten gulped as the man inched closer to him, obviously trying to scare him. He was much shorter, and weaker. But he wouldn't let his fear show. He had enough practice at that dealing with bullies in high school. "Or I'll call the police."

"Yeah, right."

The man's fist slammed into Ten's face and his back hit the elevator door. He was grabbed by the collar and shoved onto the floor, and he was kicked. Before the man could hit him again, the woman grabbed a hold of him. He pushed her away, cursing loudly. He raised his hand to hit her, but the sound of a gun loading made them all fall still. Ten looked over to the hallway where Yuta stood, pointing his gun at the man. Ten held his breath.

"I'll give you five seconds to get out of my sight," he said seriously, "and if you ever approach either of these two ever again, I'll put a bullet in your skull."

Ten's eyes widened. Yuta never faltered. He meant every word. There was no way that the gun was for self-defense when he handled the situation as though he'd faced the exact thing before.

"One..."

The man held his hands up, backing away. When Yuta moved his finger over the trigger, the man ran in the other direction, back towards the apartment he'd left from. Ten finally breathed as Yuta lowered the gun and sighed in relief. The woman looked just as shocked as Ten did.

"Do you have somewhere safe to go?" Yuta asked the woman, and she nodded. "Here, take my gun. If anybody makes trouble for you, shoot the bastards, alright?"

She nodded, accepting the weapon. Ten watched as she pressed the elevator's button and the door opened. She turned around before she left. "Thank you, both of you."

Yuta smiled at her, but Ten was still in shock when the elevator door shut, he turned to return to his apartment. His heart was still beating out of control. As he was walking, Yuta stopped him. "Wait."

"What?"

"You're bleeding. Come with me, I have a first aid kit in my apartment. I'm sure you were wandering out here with good reason, at this hour?"

"I was going for food."

"You could have come to me," Yuta replied. "I'll give you something. Will ramen be good enough?"

Ten nodded, he supposed it wouldn't hurt. Plus—he had questions. He couldn't just ignore what was going on around him. He followed Yuta into his apartment, and the latter hurried to grab the first aid kit from in a cupboard. Ten looked around, at the posters hung around the room.

"You can sit down; I'll be over in a minute."

He complied, moving over to the couch. He sat down and waited, looking at Yuta's choice of décor. Posters of martial arts movies, cars and motorbikes, and what Ten assumed were bands. Other than that, his apartment felt kind of bland. It had the same furniture as what was in his room, so he assumed the landlady owned both. Yuta soon sat beside him with the green box and a pot of ramen which he placed on the table.

"Do you want to wipe the blood, or do you want my help?"

"I should be able to do it," Ten replied, taking an alcohol wipe from Yuta.

Though it stung a little, he wiped his lip, which he could feel bleeding. Yuta pointed out a small cut on his face and he wiped that, too, braving through the sting. He returned the wipe to its small package and placed it on his lap. Yuta handed him his ramen, as though he couldn't get it himself, but he happily accepted it.

"Why'd you come here? To Cheowon, I mean," he asked.

"For work," Ten replied, stirring the ramen. "And city life."

"Like most, then," Yuta chuckled. "City life in Cheowon isn't what people expect it to be."

Ten nodded. "Definitely not. I didn't expect to get punched defending somebody, nor did I expect to see someone take out a gun to protect both of us."

"Yeah... sorry if I shocked you."

"Why did you? I mean, if he'd had a gun too, you'd be injured or even dead."

"You seem pretty cool, plus, I hate people who hit their partners."

"You seemed to be pretty confident with that gun."

Yuta furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Ten as he ate. "What are you getting at?"

"Nothing, nothing," Ten shook his head.

"If you're implying I've shot somebody before, you're wrong. But I know how to use a gun and I will, if necessary."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, definitely not. I'm just clarifying my possession of firearms."

Ten hummed. "Alright. I believe you. But... Yuta?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it's dangerous to live here and not know how to defend yourself?"

"Are you considering moving, already?"

"No, I can't afford to. So, the next best thing... I'll learn how to defend myself."

Though he seemed surprised, Yuta smiled. "You will?"

"I don't think I have much of a choice."

"Well, you're in luck."

"I am?"

"I just so happen to work in the perfect place for you to learn."

“You do?”

Yuta hummed. “You have to be serious about it, though. You’ll need to think it through. I’ll get into dirt if you back out last minute. Boss won’t be happy, at all.”

“Well… when you put it like that, it sounds a little… dangerous.”

“Fighting in Cheowon will always be dangerous. But I assume you don’t want to instigate fights. We have some awesome fighters, the guy who trained me is like an MMA expert. He trained young. He’s a cool guy, he won’t cause you any trouble. But he’s damn strong. Looks deceive.”

“What kind of workplace has MMA fighters and trains people off of the street?” asked Ten.

He didn’t want to come across as too cautious, but not just anywhere would train people to fight. At least, in Thailand, they wouldn’t have. But Cheowon was a whole other world. Ten found it hard to believe that such a different place existed. Sure, there were economic struggles in a lot of Thailand, with millions of people emigrating to various other countries. It was mainly due to the sweltering heat, floods, and an influx of tsunamis. Even with the extreme weather and high emigration rate, the population was scraping 125M in 2130.

“Let’s just say that we want people to have a good shot at life. You gotta know how to survive on the streets if you intend to stay here.”

“Well… can I think about it?”

“Take the time that you need, I ain’t going anywhere.”

“Thanks, for everything.”

“Someone’s gotta do good out here, right?”

* * *

Ten wasn't sure if he'd made the right call, telling Yuta that he wanted to learn how to defend himself. The latter hadn't opened up much about the place that he worked, which made him slightly suspicious of his intentions. He wouldn't even tell him where it was, or if it was even legal. Ten had returned to his room for the night, and he slept, despite his long nap. When he woke up in the morning, somebody was knocking on his door. Almost certain that it was Yuta—as in the end, Ten had agreed to go to his workplace with him in the morning—he got up, and though he was definitely not ready to leave, he ran to the door. Surely enough, when he opened it, Yuta was on the other side, smiling.

"Can you give me five minutes or so? I woke up late," said Ten. "You can sit in here if you'd like."

"Sure, five minutes is fine," he replied. "Take all the time that you need."

"Will your boss not get angry?"

Yuta laughed, walking in. Ten closed the door behind him and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. The elder sat down on the couch. "No, he won't get angry. He's pretty lenient. Plus, my shift doesn't begin until eleven."

"Oh, I see. I'll just be a moment."

Yuta hummed. Ten disappeared into the bathroom. He had managed to shower once he returned from the others' apartment, even though it was early in the morning. As far as he was concerned, traveling was one of the most unhygienic things that one could do. Ten got changed into something comfortable, yet still stylish. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and headed out to where Yuta was sat, waiting. The elder turned around and looked surprised.

"What?" asked Ten, "Do I look weird?"

"No, you look good. Sorry for gawking. Should we go? I've got a car around the back of the building."

Ten nodded. He wasn't even aware that there was a car park, but then again, he didn't drive anyway, so it didn't matter. He wanted to, he just didn't have the time. He locked his apartment door and followed Yuta through the building. On the ground floor, it was quieter, and there were certainly fewer people drinking. Ten frowned as he saw even young people lying on the ground. Suddenly he felt far more fortunate. They walked out of a back door in a particularly crowded room, and Ten was glad when he felt the fresh air against his face.

Yuta took him to his car, and they made their way through the city. Soon, even neon lights faded, and buildings got progressively smaller and smaller. There were no more high-rise buildings, just those with four, three, or even two floors. Damaged windows on buildings were boarded, and people sat on the street, some even drinking in the daylight. Ten sighed as he saw people fighting on the roadside, in front of a family with two children. Yuta took heed to him. "They'll grow up to be addicts, maybe whores. Everybody has the same fate around here. If they're lucky, they'll OD before the loansharks get ahold of 'em."

"Does nobody try to help each other?"

"Helping each other?" asked Yuta, and he hummed in thought. "There's a few. Organizations to feed the homeless, stuff like that. I suppose you could say the CPD help others."

"The CPD?"

"Cheowon Police Department. It's full of humanoid robots. They shoot pretty much anybody who gets in their way. No human wants to be a cop around here," said Yuta. "Cops are the first to get cut down."

"Why do people let this happen? What about the wealthy? Surely they could—"

"The rich, helping? Don't make me laugh. If they can afford to be a greedy asshole, they ain't gonna help the streets. No way."

Ten sighed. Perhaps he'd been blind to the reality all along. It wasn't just Cheowon, it just so happened to be exceptionally bad there. They turned from the main road, into an alleyway. Ten would have been alarmed, had he not seen the large neon sign, flickering over a doorway. It read _"Eternal Night"._ He turned to Yuta in confusion.

"A bar?" he asked.

"On the surface," the elder replied, parking the car. "Come on. Stay close."

He got out of the car, and Ten felt nervous. There was something that made his stomach flip about the whole situation. Yuta wouldn't tell him anything about the location. The secrecy didn't exactly pave a trusted outing. He opened the door to the bar, and Ten slipped in behind him. There were people who sat inside, paying no attention to what was going on behind them. Yuta signaled to a man behind the counter, and he nodded.

"Follow me."

Ten complied quietly. He didn't want to make a scene in front of middle-aged drunkards, or the surprisingly young bartender who eyed them up. He watched as Yuta and the bartender communicated through their gaze. The latter nodded, and he opened a door behind the counter. Ten followed Yuta into the back area, and once the door was closed, the elder began to tear floorboards from the ground. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" asked Yuta, "It's a secret door."

That was exactly what it looked back when there was a hole revealed in the ground. There was a wooden staircase leading down. It was dark and grimy. Ten held his breath as he walked down, looking at the bare brick wall that practically hugged him when he stepped onto the stone floor. The scent of damp and mold filled his nostrils as he followed Yuta through the hallway. It was barely lit, clearly aiding in the disguise. Anybody would think it was just an old blocked cellar, had they stumbled across it. The light would be seen through the cracks on the floorboards. They reached a door, and Yuta knocked three times. There was a hatch on the door which was pulled down, and eyes peered through from the other side.

"Nakamoto Yuta, Unit Three. My guest here wishes to receive training."

Ten looked at Yuta as the hatch was closed, soon the door clicked and was pulled open. A short male stood on the other side, with deep black hair. He stepped aside to let them inside. "I hope you know what you're doing, bringing a stray in here."

"Relax," said Yuta, "he couldn't harm a fly."

The small male snickered and the door was closed with an echo as they moved inside. The room beyond was brighter, with old tables, couches, and sleeping bags scattered around. Ten was surprised by the expanse of the underground space. In comparison to the small bar, it was _huge._ There weren't many people, but of those that were there, there were young people lying asleep on the floor, wrapped in blankets and sleeping bags. There were some heaters, though it was clear they were old. Yuta turned to Ten. The younger was beginning to wonder just what he'd gotten himself into.

"Slow and quiet. Make sure your phone is on silent and keep your head down."

"Should I really be here—"

"That'll be discovered sooner or later."

Ten's eyes widened. Did nobody expect him? He caught up with Yuta as they walked between the tables and couches, and soon, they were stood in front of a door. Three knocks once again. There was a hum from the other side.

"Don't speak unless you're instructed to."

Yuta opened the door, and he prompted him to enter the room. The elder walked in first, and Ten edged in behind him. He closed the door, and when Yuta stepped aside, the younger felt stares on his back. He turned around cautiously. The man sat in a chair behind a small desk was also quite young, but not as young as Ten or Yuta. He tapped his fingers on the wooden table, staring at the stranger with his head tilted gently. There was a gun on his desk, and on his face, a scar ran diagonally across his right cheek. His eyes were dark, peering at Ten.

"Who's this?"

"Ten Lee, sir," Yuta replied. "He's new to the neighborhood, from abroad. Lives next door to me."

"And why did you bring him here?"

Ten was unnerved as Yuta looked at him, as though he was being read. "He has poor street sense, sir. We'd like to fix that."

"And, is that mutual? Or have you brought me another waste of resources that you plucked off the streets?"

Ten realized that he was expecting an answer from him, as the intense glare suggested. He gulped, trying to find the words. "I'd like to learn... s-sir."

"I see," said the man, grinning. "Well, Nakamoto. You've gone and surprised me this time."

"So... is he in?"

"You know it isn't that simple. If you followed our rules, I assume your friend doesn't know what kind of organization we are. Is that correct?"

Yuta hummed. "It is."

"Then, he needs an introduction. He needs to learn the ropes, as you did."

The silence from Yuta didn't make the situation any less nerve-wracking. He eventually managed to nod. "Right. Which team?"

"Since you retrieved him, he'll be introduced to Unit Three first. Then, if he succeeds in the tests, I'll decide where to put him. Take him to Taeyong."

"I will!" Yuta exclaimed, sounding strangely excited over the matter.

He bowed energetically, and for good measure, Ten mimicked his action. The elder opened the door, and he let him leave first. When the door was closed, he turned to him, sighing in relief. "What have you gotten me into?"

"Relax, so far, it's all good," Yuta replied.

"Well, I hope the rest of it is—otherwise you will _not_ hear the end of this from me."

The elder chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Though, being a prospective member of Unit Three means hard work. Just try to blend into your surroundings, and you'll be fine."

"This organization..." Ten began, "I'm not about to become a wanted criminal or anything, am I?"

"Not as you currently stand."

"And in the future?"

Yuta started walking in another direction, and Ten struggled to keep up. "If you train well, you won't."

"But if I don't?"

"You'll train well, I know you will," said the elder. "Trust me."

Ten sighed. He didn't know if he was in the right to trust Yuta, even though he wanted to. They walked to another door and they stepped inside. Following the elder, Ten was taken aback as they heard cheering and yelling when they walked into a long hallway. The door was closed, and Ten was led into a room. In the center, people were standing around watching two others fight. Yuta pushed him forward when they walked into the room, prompting him to watch.

One of the two stood out, in particular. He had blood-red hair that almost covered his eyes and sharp features. As he kicked his opponent in the chest—which left Ten enamored about the fact that he could even reach so high with his leg—his hair flicked to the side and allowed Ten to catch a glimpse at a scar that passed over his left eyelid and straight below his lower eyelid, ending hastily above his cheek. His right arm was peculiar. Dark silver in color, it was clear to Ten that it wasn't his original, biological arm. He punched with it, knocking his opponent unsteady and making him topple onto the floor. With him grounded, the red-haired male placed one foot on his chest lightly and grinned, holding his metallic hand in the air.

"And... Taeyong wins again!" a tall male announced. "Haechan, mark the score!"

Ten turned to Yuta, who was smiling as the red-haired male pulled his opponent up from the ground. "Cool, right? That's Taeyong, our trainer and leader."

"Yeah... definitely cool," said the younger in awe.

The leader's eyes trailed over to the unfamiliar presence in the room, and he walked over. The action brought everybody's attention to Ten. Taeyong looked at the nervous stranger. Yuta took the introductions into his own hands, as the leader was too busy admiring the stranger in front of him to respond.

"This is Ten Lee; I've had the all-clear from Jiyong to have him train with us. He's an outsider, not from Cheowon."

"A successful scout from _the_ Nakamoto Yuta?" asked the tall man from earlier. "You're going up in the world."

"You think?"

Ignoring the talking behind him, Taeyong held out his hand. Ten gawked at the silver, seeing it up close. He'd never seen a real cybernetic arm before. He looked up to the red-haired male, who was waiting for him to shake his hand and shook it. "Lee Taeyong, though I assume you already know that much."

"Hi."

That was all Ten could spit out. He relaxed when the leader smiled. It took somebody clapping to bring them both out of their little bubble. They looked over to see somebody with a whiteboard pen in his hand, stood beside the board. On it was a plethora of names, and Ten realized that the person was Haechan.

> _"Date: 07 March 2131_  
>  _Signed by: Haechan, again_
> 
> _Taeyong —_ ~~////~~  
>  _Johnny —_ ///  
>  _Jaehyun —_ //  
>  _Doyoung —_ ///  
>  _Kun —_ ////  
>  _Yuta — Late, again._  
>  _Mark —_ /  
>  _Haechan — Too fab to fight._  
>  _Taeil — Pfft._  
>  _Sicheng —_ /  
>  _Lucas — AWOL, still._  
>  _Ten — "_

"Taeyong's winning, like usual. Kun is close, and Jaehyun lost—again. What now? Test of abilities for the newbie?"

"I can't fight—"

"Then, we teach you. As part of the initiation," Taeyong replied. "Yuta, what made you consider bringing him here?"

"Well, first of all, he tried protecting a woman from this buff, drunk, and incredibly violent man. But then he said that he wanted to learn how to protect himself," Yuta replied, "so, I brought him here."

"I'm assuming the face-off with the abuser is the cause of the burst lip?"

"Or Yuta got too rough with him," one of the others joked.

Ten's eyes widened. Taeyong turned to look at them and shook his head in disproval. "He's only just got here, save the jokes for later."

"Well, what're you thinking?" asked Yuta.

"Ten," said the leader abruptly, catching his attention. "Can you punch?"

"Y-Yes?"

"You don't sound so sure," the tall male chuckled.

Ten looked down at his clenched fist. Of course, he _could_ punch, but if he was any good at it was entirely another topic. "I don't really use my fists to respond to situations..."

"You're not one of those peace junkies, are you? This is no place for a snowflake," the tall one continued.

"Johnny, not now," Taeyong groaned. "If I was to take out a gun and hold it to your head _right_ now, what would you do?"

"Ask you to put it away and talk your reasons through with me?"

An onlooker snorted in amusement. Ten knew it was pitiful, but he'd never even considered getting physical during an argument—and he'd had his fair few. Taeyong didn't laugh at him, he merely nodded along. He looked at Ten with those hawk's eyes of his, his arms crossed tentatively across his chest. "Okay. Had you not only met me a few minutes ago, I would have held a gun to your head and tested you without warning, but I'm feeling nice today, so we can give that a miss."

"What do you want me to do?" Ten asked, his eyes following Taeyong as the latter's arms fell beside his body.

"Punch me."

Ten almost choked on his breath. " _What_?"

"Everybody—scatter. Let me train him in peace. Mark, Haechan, it's your turn to go to the surface today."

"Roger that," Haechan sighed sullenly, dragging his feet toward the door.

Mark followed behind him, his expression merely showing indifference. They disappeared beyond the door and Taeyong turned to Johnny, "Follow them."

"Why?"

"Because lately, the common folk have been getting restless. I don't want either of them getting hurt, and you're good at blending in with the shadows. They're still fresh; we need to keep them close."

"Alright, I'll follow them."

Taeyong nodded as Johnny collected his gun from the counter, slipping it under the rim of his trousers. He flicked his hand in a half-assed wave as he left, and the door closed with a creak. The leader turned back to Ten, who waited nervously. He walked between four lines on the floor, making the newbie raise his eyebrow. "Fight zone," Taeyong explained. "Get in and give me your best shot."

"I don't want to hurt you—"

"You won't, Ten," said the leader. "I've trained enough people with the exact same method, and the first punch is always the weakest."

"But..."

Ten watched as Taeyong tugged at his own shirt. Confused, the newbie's eyes shifted up to the leader's face. His gaze flicked down again to see a large scar across his defined body, and Ten shuddered. He could take a weak punch. "Punch me like I'm about to kill your entire family."

"I'll try," Ten sighed, slipping into the rectangle on the floor.

Taeyong stood completely still, which Ten was grateful for. The latter gulped. He didn't know if he had what it took to fight anybody. But all he could do was try. Ten walked forward, his fist clenched. He looked down at his hand before flailing it towards the leader's chest. He felt a slight tingle in his fist from the contact and pulled his hand away, looking up at Taeyong, who held a hand over his chest. Ten was glad he didn't laugh, but his gaze didn't look very reassuring either. "Good. Lacking strength, but that's to be expected."

"What was the point in that?"

"Checking your form. How you present yourself, how you direct the hit. Right now, you look like you're seconds away from pissing yourself—we need to work on that."

Ten's gaze dropped to the ground, disheartened. But Taeyong wasn't exactly wrong. Brutal, but not wrong. "I'm not sure if I can do this..."

"Don't give up after one punch. Follow me, we'll get started on the basics," the leader replied.

Maybe it would be better to try, first. If he wanted to live in Cheowon without ending up six feet under, he needed to learn how to defend himself. But not knowing the intentions of the people he was surrounded by was nerve-wracking to him. He didn't even know if it was legal. Nonetheless, he followed. Ten walked in Taeyong's shadow, subconsciously looking at the leader's arm. It would probably be more painful than being punched by a biological arm. As he followed him into another room, Ten felt the need to engage in small talk to save himself from the deafening silence.

"So... how old are you?"

Taeyong turned back slightly, and he smiled. "Twenty-six."

"Oh, cool..." he wasn't even sure what to say. "I'm twenty-one."

"You look younger."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Depends if you see looking young as a blessing or a curse," the leader replied.

Ten nodded gently, even though he was out of the elder's line of view. They walked into a room. "What is this... thing?"

"Aeterna Noctis?"

"What's that?"

"Nobody told you?" asked Taeyong. "We're an organization, but I'm afraid I can't go into detail until you've been initiated."

"It sounds like a cult."

"Because of the Latin name? It's just a stylistic choice. The organization is older than both of us. It means 'Eternal Night'."

If anything, that made it sound like more of a cult. And the initiation made matters far worse. Ten let out a quiet sigh. He only wanted to learn how to fight, not join an organization. Perhaps he made Yuta think otherwise. "Since I'm here, do I _have_ to join?"

"You'd have to discuss that with Jiyong, he's the one who makes the decision. Look, here's a punching bag."

Even Ten knew what it was. There were three in the room, and another person there, training alone. He waited for an introduction, and Taeyong walked over to the one training. He placed a hand on his shoulder, but when he turned around, the stranger flung a fist toward the leader. Ten's eyes widened, but rather than receiving the hit, Taeyong caught his fist in his hand. The stranger looked up. "Taeyong—"

"We have a prospective member here. Ten Lee. I'll be training him in this room, just a forewarning."

The stranger nodded, looking over to Ten, who shrunk in his gaze. He stepped back. Everybody in there had such piercing gazes, he felt as though they could pick him apart piece by piece with their stares. His body shuddered at the thought of getting on the wrong side of them. They'd probably kill him and hide his body in a dumpster without hesitation.

"Is Jiyong accepting literally anybody, these days?"

"Be nice," the leader warned. "Ten, this is Taeil. He's the least physical out of all of us. He's more of a tech kind of guy."

"A qualified Cyberdoc, to be specific."

"It's nice to meet you," Ten bowed, even if it wasn't entirely true.

Taeil had a look of surprise. "I like him."

"Alright, get back to training."

The Cyberdoc turned away, continuing to punch the black bag that swung mercilessly in front of him. Taeyong walked over to a box on the ground and took out a mass of fabric. Ten furrowed his eyebrows. They were thrown towards him, and he caught them. He looked at them, realizing they were to be fastened around his fists. But they looked overly complicated. He half expected boxing gloves, but instead, he got some flimsy fabric. Taeyong caught on to his confusion when he stood back up.

"You've never done this before," he stated. "Hold your hand out and watch."

Ten put his hand out and carefully watched as Taeyong took a bundle of fabric and wrapped it around his wrist first and then around the rest of his hand. When he moved on to his second hand, the younger looked at his face. The scar across the leader's eyelid looked old, but it still made Ten wonder what the story was behind it. It didn't seem to hinder his eyesight, so it can't have been too damaging. When Taeyong finished, he stepped back and pointed towards a punching bag. Ten approached it, somewhat nervous.

"Are you right-handed or left-handed?"

"Right," Ten replied.

"That makes this easy then," said the elder. "Hold your hands up as though you're about to punch with both hands—dominant hand behind. Like this."

Taeyong watched as Ten mimicked his action and looked at his balled fists. He nodded but gently moved the younger's left hand forward. "Is this right?"

"You look a little stiff, try to relax. Remember to keep your thumb across the outside of your hand, if you put it inside, you'll break it. Always keep your wrist straight. Hold that... good."

He was making it sound so much more complicated than Ten expected it to be, but he followed his instructions, making a mental note to try and remember what he was saying. He felt somewhat self-conscious as the leader's eyes scanned over him. He found himself holding his breath.

"Lift your arms. Your fists should be shielding your face. If I was to punch you now, you'd have no time to react. Keep your elbows steady, or I could break your ribs in one kick. In a real fight, don't stand there like a plank of wood, stay on your toes. If you stay still, you'll look like a fool and will wind up in a hospital," he explained. "Now... your legs. Angle yourself. Right leg back, like your arm. Bend your knees a little."

Ten felt like a fool already, and he was sure he looked like one too. Taeyong's arms were crossed over his chest again. He looked slightly intimidating, firing out orders like Ten was inferior to him. But in reality, he was helping him. In any other situation, the younger would be enraged. "Can you slow down a little... please?"

"Alright," he said, no hint of irritation in his voice. "You're getting there. Just angle yourself more, as though you were going to punch me. A little more. Good. Chin down, you don't want me to hook your jaw and crack your teeth."

"Like this?"

"Not too much. A bit higher, or you'll be looking at the ground, and your hair will get in the way."

It made sense why Taeyong's hair was fairly short. Not enough to look like he'd just came back from war, but short enough that it never fell in front of his eyes. Ten's hair, however, was longer. He found himself flicking it out of the way, but he didn't want to break his posture. Taeyong's arms fell beside his side once again, and he walked closer to the younger. Ten gawked as he pulled his chin up slightly, and then tucked his hair behind his ears. He almost lost posture, but the leader reminded him to hold it.

"That's good. You've already got a better posture than Taeil."

Luckily, the other wasn't listening. Ten chuckled. He was glad Taeyong lightened the mood because he was starting to see the man in front of him as a much duller person than he appeared to be. He thought his days dealing with miserable teachers were over. The elder moved over, besides the punching bag. Ten knew what was next.

"Turn around, try to maintain your posture. Now, when you punch, remember to keep your wrist in-line with your arm. It will absorb the shock. Hold your body as still as you can—for now—and twist your body from your torso. The center of strength is in your legs and your waist. Push forward with your back leg. I'll hold the bag, you punch."

Facing the bag, Ten hesitated. He did as Taeyong said, twisting as he hauled his fist toward the bag. He hit it with all of his might as the leader held the bag still by the handles. Ten shook his fist as he took his hand away.

"That was good, but if you want your punches to be more effective, there are a few things we need to work on. You need to make sure you maintain that posture and embed it into your muscle memory. It's important to shift your weight correctly to punch with full force. Of course, naturally, it might be logical to build up some muscle. Do you have anywhere to be?"

"I don't have a job yet," Ten replied. "So, no. I'm waiting for responses to emails."

"Then, for a while, we can continue with the punching, and throw in some other attacks and practice. What do you think about that?"

The younger nodded, smiling. "Let's do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we have it! The first chapter of a new series. I've been wanting to write a sci-fi story for a while, and I hope all of the concepts fit well together! There'll be lots of revelations and I'm hoping to build backstories for most if not all important characters to explore throughout the story. I hope the pacing of the chapter didn't feel too fast or slow. I know that usually, there'll be a bit of a build-up to the MC's meeting, but I promise I won't rush it. If anything feels a bit off, tell me! Don't worry about an excess of fight training, I'll keep it minimal. Who knows, maybe somebody will learn something useful out of it.
> 
> If you've got any opinions or guesses about the story, please feel free to comment them! I enjoy reading comments, I swear I don't bite :)
> 
> Quick fact: _"Vita Nova"_ means "New Life", in Latin!


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